Useful free downloads

Disk and file tools
Disk images – also referred to as ISOs – are a great way to back up CDs into a single file.

The Microsoft website has a couple of tools for working with them.

ISO Recorder is a handy piece of software that makes light work of creating and using such images.

Converting a CD to an ISO image is a simple matter of right-clicking the CD icon in My Computer and selecting ‘Create image from CD’.

Images can also be created from files and folders by right-clicking and selecting ‘Create ISO image file’. The program can also be used to copy ISO files onto CD – just right-click the file and select ‘Copy image to CD’.

But it is not always necessary to copy images onto a CD to use them – just install the Virtual CD-Rom Control Panel. This handy utility can be used to browse through the contents of ISO files just as if they were real CDs. After downloading and extracting the program, copy the file named VCdRom.sys to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers and then run VCdControlTool.exe. Click the Driver Control button followed by Install Driver before navigating to and selecting the newly copied VCdRom.sys file. Now click Start followed by OK and then Add Drive.

With the new drive selected in the list, click the Mount button before selecting an ISO file and clicking OK. Open My Computer or Explorer and the image can be navigated just like any other drive.

A growing number of people work with more than one computer – such as at home and in the office – and it is not uncommon for files to be copied from one machine to another using a USB drive. Synctoy can be used to ensure files are automatically synchronised between two locati ons so you can be sure of always working with the most up-to-date version.

The program was designed with digital photographers in mind but it can be used to synchronise any type of file between two locations.

USB or flash drives are a popular way to transport files from one computer to another. Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager offers various options that will interest owners of removable drives.

One of its most useful features is the ability to create an image of drive content. This is handy when using a smaller USB drive because it provides an easy means of backing up the current contents of the drive before copying across new files. Images can be restored at a later date when more space has been freed up. The Autorun properties of USB drives can also be adjusted and the tool provides a simple method of transferring wireless network settings from one computer to another.